A journal of travel, hiking and gardening. Drop in and see what is on tap for this year.

Vegetable Garden 2011 - #1

God this has been a terrible April. It has been cold with several days of snow and hail. We did not even have one day above 60 degrees until almost the end of April. But it was a tease. It turned around and went back to the rain and col. We even broke a record for the coldest April. May isn't turning out to be any better. We had a nice day on Sunday but like before Monday was windy cold and rainy. I am craving heat and sun.

Everything is behind about 3 weeks this year. The tulips are still in bloom in the Skagit Valley. They are usually finishing up by the end of April. The cherries are still in bloom and many of the trees have not yet leafed out. And our vegetable garden is behind by almost three weeks.

We created a new bed for our peas this year hoping to avoid the problems we have had the past two years. We planted the peas mid-March but they didn't even germinate for three weeks. They were tiny two inch plants until just this week and a few of them are starting to grow.

We got brave and put the lettuce out this week. The tomatoes are coming along fine in the greenhouse but we don't expect to put them out for at least three more weeks. Sigh... who knows if anything will even ripen.

There has been lots of talk about how our springs are getting colder. It turns out that it is actually a cycle and we are going back into a pattern of cold Springs similar to 1960-1970s. Bah.... I can't believe I'm actually wishing it was like the '80s!

The one bright surprise was the lovely blue mecenopsis poppy that is blooming behind the greenhouse. We got it last year at Lakewold Garden. Unfortunately it is a biennial so it will probably bloom and die. But such a beauty.

Vegetable starts on April 23rd

Lettuce and Rainbow Chard

Tomatoes moving up to 4" pots

Peas waiting for the heat

Garden Beds and plants - May 7th

Lettuce planted

Peas finally starting to grow now that the nights are above 40 degrees

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Comments (7)

I understand your frustration with the weather. I think we have finally turned the corner here into warmer weather, but only in the past couple of weeks. I feel like we were robbed of what is normally the loveliest time of year here.

It is just a tad bit smaller than an oriental poppy. I was curious - I took a ruler out and measured it - it is 3" across. I pulled up the tag - it is Mecenopsis 'Lingholm'. There are a couple more buds to come on.

Striking color blue of your poppy. Ah, I remember the year's past your sprouts coming along in the spring and then seeing the 'fruits' of your labor in the summer! Nothing quite like fresh and your own veges.